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Digital Original 24 Quick Printing | February 2015 MyPRINTResource.com John Giles is a senior consultant for CPrint International ( cprint.com ). He helps printers prosper and understand how to sell the technology services. Giles is the author of 12 Secrets for Digital Success and The DTP PriceList. He can be reached at 954-224-1942 or john@cprint.com . To order his books, visit www.crouser.com . 7 Secrets to Selling Print Setting up an Internet sales infrastructure is more of an investment in time than money. By John Giles S ome people think the secret for successfully selling print- ing services over the Internet means a major fnancial invest- ment in technology. It isn't as much about the dollars as it is about the investment in time. Even the small- est print shop can increase sales by giving customers online tools and then guiding them through the order- ing process. I work with a number of printers who are growing sales and profts because they discovered the secrets for getting online business. 1. Don't reinvent the wheel. Use what is available. There are plug-and-play solutions for almost any online print buying situation. No one starts offering online services by writing their own programs. Vendors such as such as PrinterPresence, WebsitesforPrinters.com, and Page- Path offer a basic web package that can gives a printer a web presence in a matter of minutes. They have ready-to-use online ordering packag- es that address fle transfer, online ordering of static products, private customer portals, and web-to-print design services that can be added as new process so prospects will have to be sold on the idea of using it. You will have more success selling if you take your message directly to top prospects and demonstrate the ben- efts. Just sending a postcard about the new service or talking about it on Facebook isn't going to close a deal. The traditional sales call is going to win more customers than just hoping a customer will stumble across you during a Google search. 5. Always be training. Constantly train and support the customer. Ongoing training and monitoring is done to assure the customer uses the service. After the initial launch training, continuing training and support must be pro- vided. If you aren't proactive about the ordering system, it is easy for the customer to forget about it and look for other suppliers. 6. Put someone in charge. Online web-based ordering ser- vices aren't something that can be handed off to the prepress staff to do when they have time. There must be a dedicated person who monitors, trains and maintains the service. They add new customers and new products. They maintain the online tools. They post new documents and templates and make sure libraries are current. A combination CSR, trainer and technician, the expert is the key interface between the shop and the customer. It can quickly become be a full time job. 7. Charge for it. If you want the customer to have skin in the game and use the service, charge for it. Too often, customers see no value in a free service. Larger companies can understand the bene- fts. Putting even a small price to the service can make a difference in the perceived value. The technology is tried and tested. Almost every printer currently has the technology. It is all about making the sales call and service after the sale. Find the right customer and your profts can grow. (Successfully) Online needed. As a buyer's needs become more advanced, the printer can customize and integrate other online solutions. You only need to invest in the more expensive solutions when you have the business to support it. 2. Keep it simple. Too many choices can overwhelm a customer. Pick one online service to sell. Add other online buying meth- ods when the customer becomes comfortable with the frst service. Keeping it simple is important when selling new concepts to prospects. A private portal where existing orders are posted in a document library for easy reordering is one of the simplest services to start offering customers. 3. Find one customer. Don't waste time trying to sell on- line ordering services to the general public or to customers with one or two jobs a month. Target prospects with signifcant needs and go after them. Top prospects are compa- nies with multiple print buyers and multiple locations or frms trying to control their brand and message by ordering through a centralized solu- tion. The benefts to the customer are making buying simple and faster and lowering administrative costs. A single customer can pay for the online investment. 4. Make a sales call. Customers don't fnd you. You have to fnd them. Online ordering is a